Call for session proposals: 2nd annual UA Faculty Alliance Thought Leaders Forum

The Faculty Alliance will host their second annual Thought Leaders Forum for two half-days of virtual Zoom meetings, March 27, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and March 28, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This year’s topic is “Universities as a Public and Common Good: Investing in Students, Communities, and Careers.”

Is education a public good? Common good? Private good? All three? What do we mean by “public,” “common,” “private,” and “good” in the context of education? As a publicly funded university, the University of ӰƬ needs to engage in the conversation about the proper role of formal education in contributing to society. Let’s get serious about defining the role of the knowledge, skills, and credentials provided by the University of ӰƬ toward the future of ӰƬ and its peoples. The Faculty Alliance is seeking proposals from University of ӰƬ faculty and others for presentations or panels on the university as a public and common good.

Categories and possible themes to address:

Education and knowledge:

  • The value of knowledge to individuals and to society
  • Academic programs: disciplinary contributions to individual and societal well being beyond economic utility
  • Going beyond ӰƬ as human capital: Critical thinking as a life-skill

Education and society:

  • Education and social capital and mobility
  • Education and social cohesion and intercultural fluency
  • Education and adaptive resilience in times of change
  • Education and addressing social problems
  • Universities and an informed public: libraries, information literacies, and the critical analysis of various networks of information

Education, employment, and economic development:

  • Academic programs: disciplinary contributions that connect ӰƬ to communities and careers
  • Education and economic mobility
  • The role of the university in retaining a resident workforce
  • Workforce development from Occupational Endorsements to Ph.Ds

Education and community:

  • Service learning, community engagement, and internships
  • Community and employer investments in the university: Sponsored programs and investments in ӰƬ
  • The educational continuum: partnerships with secondary education
  • Reciprocal relationships: Efforts to follow ӰƬ into their futures and to maintain alumni connection: Where do our ӰƬ end up and what do they do for ӰƬ?

Research contributions:

  • Economic contributions of research and innovation
  • Research and social well being of ӰƬ’s communities
  • Research and career opportunities for ӰƬ
  • Research and community partners: Inquiry in response to identified community needs

Contributions of the Arts and Humanities:

  • The arts, humanities, and community engagement
  • Arts and humanities and education of the whole person
  • The arts and humanities as a catalyst for improving mental health
  • Understanding cultures through the arts and humanities
  • Establishing a shared identity and sense of belonging

Proposals are due: Feb. 10, 2025
Presenters will be notified: Feb. 24, 2025
Schedule will be available: March 3, 2025


Format Options:

  • Individual Presentation: 20-30 minute presentation. Individual presentations with related or complementary themes will be placed together in combined sessions.
  • Group Panel Presentation: 3 to 4 co-presenters coordinated around a specific theme or question for a one hour joint presentation. Panels should reserve 10-15 minutes for questions at the end of the session. Interdisciplinary and/or cross-university collaborations are welcome.

should include a title, the name/s, title, and affiliation of participant/s, and an abstract of 500 words that demonstrates how the proposal addresses the overall topic and thematic area.

Proposals will be evaluated by members of the Faculty Alliance. Groupings of individual presentations for combined sessions will be determined based on submissions received.

For more information contact:

Jennifer Carroll, UAF Faculty Senate Past-President, jlcarroll@alaska.edu
Jacqueline Cason, UAA, Faculty Senate President, jecason@alaska.edu
Ali Ziegler, UAS Faculty Senate President-Elect, aaziegler@alaska.edu